Safety device for aeroplanes



Aug. 16, 1927. I 1,638,840

A. E. FIXEL SAFE TY DEVICE FOR AEROPLANES Filed Nov. 9, 1925 .INVENTOR BY L 4 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 16, 1927.

ARTHUR E. FIXEL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR AEROPLANES.

A plication filed November 9, 1925. Serial No. 67,809.

The present invention relates to safety devices for aeroplanes and particularly to parachutes adapted to be attached to aeroplanes and so constructed and arranged as to be positively and quickly opened upon the arising of the necessity for their use.

In the prior application Serial Number 44,232, filed July 17, 1925, by the present applicant, a similar device was described and claimed and the present invention constitutes an improvement thereon.

In that application there is described a parachute having ribs of rattan or slender spring steel ribs adapted to be folded into a suitable container on the aeroplane in such fashion that the ribs will lie in spirals. The parachute is then ejected by mechanism that will give the central ring, to winch the ribs are attached, an initial whirl well as eject the parachute bodily, the direction of whirl being such that end thrust is exerted on the ribs. This action together with the springiness of the ribs acts to open the parachute when it is released by the ejecting mechanism.

The present application covers an im proved construction of rib and rib-attachment, which improvement will increase the rapidity of opening of the parachute.

Reference should be made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the central or apex member of a parachute embodying one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar section through another form and also shows in elevation a part of the ejecting device; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of a parachute as folded for storage in its pocket or container, one rib only being indicated for clarity.

As described in the application above referred to, the parachute will be of conven' tional form comprising a cloth cover secured at the outer edge at a plurality of points by cords to a suitable means by which it may be attached to its load.

Along the seams'of the cover will be suitable ribs of rattan or spring steel secured to memberin a direction counter to the unfolding movement of the ribs.

In the drawing, a rib is shown at 10 and the apex member at 11. The ribs are secured in tubular end members 12 of metal each of which forms one part of the hinged joint 13 connecting the rib to the apex member 11. The hinge may be formed by passing a pin through member 12 and the edge of member 11, suitably reinforced by turning back the edge as shown.

In the parachute disclosed in the prior case the elasticity of the rib was depended upon to cause it to quickly straighten, aided of course by the end thrust exerted thereon by the ejecting means. In the present lmprovement, this action is ncreased by adding springs to the hinges 13 and in Fig. 1 the spring is indicated as being a spring wire or strip attached to and extending a short distance along a rib 10. This spring 20 will serve for two oppositely disposed ribs 10, as shown.

In Fig. 2 a similar spring will be secured to the rib 10 but its inner end will be provided with a loop 26 fastened to pin 27 of the hinge 13. This pin 27 will extend below the hinge and furnish support for a second spring 28 which will have one end 29 secured to member 11 and the other end looped over the end piece 12 of the rib.

As ClGZCIlbQCl in the prior application, the post will be secured in the center of a suitable pocket and around it but spaced therefrom will be a sleeve 36 arranged to The upper end of spring 39 extends up through a suitable opening 40 111 apex member 11 for a purpose to be described later.

Apex member 11 has at its center a sleeve adapted to .slip over post 35 inside of sleeve 36 and has a throughpin 46 adapted to enter a cross slot 4-7 in the end of post- 35.

In packing the parachute in its pocket, the ribs are folded spirally clockwise as indicated in Fig. 3. This will put the springs 20; or 25 and 28 under tension. The spring 39 is then also tensioned in counterclockwise direction and the pin 46 pushed into slot 47, thus forcing the sleeve 36 down on post 35.

l t hen it is desired to release and open the parachute, sleeve 36 is lifted. This action litts pin d6 from slot 417 and releases the tension on spring 89. At the same time the folded parachute is lifted "from the pocket and theribs l0 and springs 20 or 25 and 28 accordingly tree to relieve their tension. When this is done, the spring 39 through member 11 immediately exerts an end thrust on the ribs, Which at the same time are tending to straighten. The resultis therefore that the ribs Will instantly extend themselves substantiallz; radially to full open position.

Having now described the invention and the preferred forms of embodin'ient thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limi edto the precise details here in described and illustrated but only by the scope of the claims Which follow.

I claim:

1. it parachute comprising a cover, a pin-- rality of elastic ribs therefor secured to said cover and hinged to a common central men. her in such manner as permit lateral movement, and spring means associated with the ribs and tending to move them to radial arrangement.

2. In a parachute, a central member, an elastic rib hinged tosaid member so as to be movable in a plane parallel to the plane ot said member, and a spring tending to move said rib about the hinge to radial position.

In combination With ejecting means including a spring adapted to impart a rotating movement to the center member of a parachute, a parachute having flexible ribs hinged to said center member and having springs adapted to impart a lateral movementto said ribs in a. direction opposite to said rotating movement.

1-. In a parachute, a center member, an

elastic rib hinged to one edge thereof for lateral movement, a second elastic rib similarly hinged diametrically opposite the first, a continuous noimall substantially "'ht spring extending along the ribs and the center member.

n combination with ejecting means ina spring adapted to impart a lifting stating movement to the center member a parachute, a parachute having flexible I'US springs adapted to impart a lateral movement to said ribs 111 a direction opposite to said rotating movement,

ARTHUR E. PIXEL.

hinged to said center member and hav-i 

